5G Reality

While it is true that 5G is a game-changer for many industries, not everything said about it is factual.

10:00 01 August 2017

5G is expected to be rolled out starting 2020 and experts say that it is a game-changer that would offer the world with unlimited bandwidth and ultrafast connection. But is everything said about it true?  Below are 3 5G myths that you should know:

 

·       5G is here – As mentioned, 5G will be rolled out not sooner than 2020. This is because 5G standards aren’t even finalised and because the technology requires a completely new network that hasn’t been built yet. Some people confuse it with the “5G evolution push”, which is just another version of 4G.

 

·       You need 5G for the Internet of Things (IoT) – IoT, as a concept, does not really need 5G to work. In fact, IoT has been happening years even before talks about 5G started. Not all applications require low latency and high bandwidth. Autonomous vehicles, for example, must be capable of operating without a network connection to be truly autonomous.

 

·       5G = 1 Gbps – Although 5G is expected to be ultrafast when compared to 4G, carriers historically haven’t delivered the theoretical capabilities of the standard due to market demand, hardware limitations, and environmental inhibitors.